Using magnetic tapes as backup storage continues to be popular in large data centers. It also turns out that more and more cloud service providers are using tape storage to take advantage of the magnetic tape, such as high-capacity, good performance, low-power consumption, low-cost per gigabyte, removable and portable storage units with very good data protection (e.g., encryption). More and more cloud service providers are introducing magnetic tapes as an “on boarding” tool or an “exit strategy” tool for on-site data centers. For this, existing data are stored on magnetic tapes, put into a shipping box and shipped from an on-site data center to the cloud service provider or, at the end of a service engagement, shipped back to the departing customer.
Additionally, critical data can also be stored off-site in special secured locations, like atomic shelters. Furthermore, major cloud service providers try to run their data centers in low-cost countries with, more or less, free cooling for the data center. The outside air temperature may be in the range used to cool down the data center. This method is less expensive if compared to a data center in traditional locations using classical cooling with costly air conditions.
Free cooled data centers may thus operate at higher temperature and higher humidity levels. However, such temperature and/or humidity levels may not meet requirements for tape media and tape drives such that additional measures have to be taken in order to stay within the specifications for a safe operation of magnetic tape cartridges.
It is known that tests with integrated coolers in tape libraries may show hotspots in certain areas within the frame of the tape library system. Those zones evince different temperature/humidity values, especially, when the tape library was open for service. Tape cartridges stored outside of a controlled environment/data center can deviate from specifications in regard to temperature and humidity. Assuming that one of those tape cartridges will be inserted into an I/O station of the tape library, they may thus not meet the operation specifications. If such tape media gets loaded with temperature/humidity levels that deviate from specifications, the data on the magnetic tape can be destroyed and read/write head elements may be damaged, for example by corrosion.